Kathi Goertzen dies after long battle with brain tumors

Kathi I watched you throughout the 80's and 90's and some 2000's. You had honesty and grace. R.I.P.

Kathi was an important person to the community and at komo. I just turned twenty, and have always known komo as my news family. My aunt worked at komo a while ago before her retirement, and it was only on Sunday that we saw her. She gave those words of encouragement that we would be seeing more of Kathi. So when I got the news on Monday of her passing I was so surprised. It really threw me for a loop. I grew up watching komo for 20 years seeing the beautiful honest women give me the news. Sure I don’t remember her when I was one but I can remember that beautiful smile and that wonderful blonde hair , and like they said in her special that closing wave at the end of every broadcast. That always made me feel like she was there with you telling you everything was okay and that she would be seeing you again tomorrow to tell you all about the new day. It’s going to be hard to know that I will never see her behind that anchor desk again, but I can remember all the years that I got to enjoy seeing her.  From firework displays; to the implosions of the Kingdome Kathi was always there to cover it. Even to the everyday news Kathi always made me feel comfortable with her smile . I don’t believe anyone will be able to replace Kathi at the komo desk and I wish you all the best with your grieving. I personally had to wait before writing this because every time I tried before Id start to cry only two sentences in. In closing Kathi you are lost but never forgotten.  You will remain my family’s hearts forever, and I can’t wait for my time to come. So I can watch you once again behind a news desk.

I am so sorry that this incredible woman has left us.  I pray for peace and healing for her family and colleagues.

She was such a light to our community.  She was a gift that we saw nightly.  Thank you to her family for sharing her with us.

I hope you now have your fullness with God and those eho have gone before you Kathi. 

I grew up watching this wonderful woman. She will be greatly missed & forever remembered!

What a classy, beautiful lady.  RIP

Kathi was a Seattle institution just like JP Patches She will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and the friends she left behind. She will always be in our hearts and will never be forgotten

Lots of memories, she will be missed. I remember watching her and Dan Lewis almost daily. R.I.P Kathi.

Rest in Peace Kathi - your fought a brave battle and your strength and grace was and is an inspiration. My thoughts are with your family.

As I sit here in my Dallas home, just finding out about this, the tears just won't stop.  Godspeed Kathi. Thank you for so many years of warmth.  

I have moved out of state, but every night when I lived in Washington, I watched the news with Dan and Kathi. The news of Kathi's passing hit me hard, it will not be the same without her anchoring the news.  I mourn for this beautiful, courageous lady. She definitely let her light shine to all of us and I am sure that her light is the brightest one in heaven right now.  One of the quotes that she made is that she will not be defined by these tumors and she definitely was not.  Those words will remain in my mind as she will remai in my heart forever.  What an inspiration to all of us, who are afflicted by a disorder that we cannot control.  I hope that I can manage my own disease with a small measure of the class, courage and grace that she possessed.  Be at peace now, fly with the angels, enjoy being in our saviours arms and know that you are loved and missed.  Thank you for your inspiration and strength.

My sister is also asking if there's a CD of her daughter's beautiful song available.  God bless Kathi's husband, daughters and close family today as they face their lives without Kathi.  It's enough to break the hardest heart....

What a blessing to know that Kathi is now in a better place, Heaven.  Know that the people of Seattle will hold the awesome memories of Kathi in our hearts always.  To the remaining crew at KOMO, keep your chins up and know that we are all rooting for you now, especially during these difficult days ahead.  To Kathi's family, I pray that the Lord will keep you tightly in His loving arms and give you strength.  HUGS!!!

Personally I was DRAWN to Kathi Goertzen because she had the ABILITY to CAPTURE my COMPLETE ATTENTION & INTEREST & SATISFY my need to know the latest in News. Kathi Goertzen came across as a Seasoned Broadcast Journalist early on sheseemed too young to have attained the level of experience, maturity & professionalism she consistantly produced. Like even she has said of herself - Jouralism was in her blood - Boy, was it! She was the Best of the Best! ABSOLUTELY. I'm so sorry & so sad Kathi was faced with the Heartbreaking outcome of the brain tumor. But she was determined to Not let that define her nor her life.Kathi has changed my outlook on life for the BETTER! God Bless you Kathi & Family, our Hearts go out to you & your Family. ***It breaks my heart we have lost a "SHINING STAR"in the Physical Realm but the "SHINING STAR" of Kathi Goertzen is in the Spiritual Realm now.  There will BE that Shining Star in my Heart.     Cher & Gary Kautz    Sequim, Wa.

Always love watching Komo news since I was young. So sad to hear about Kathi's passing, she will be missed. my heart felt condolences and sadness to her family and the Komo news team. R.I.P. Kathi!=(

she was a great person and will be dearly missed

Watching KOMO news last evening from Vancouver, Canada and was shocked and saddened to hear of Kathi's passing. As a long time viewer of KOMO news, I was aware of her challenges with recurring tumours and surgeries. What a long journey, what a long challenge she faced with such grace for many years. I admired her greatly as a news journalist and her obvious love of her job was so evident. I was always impressed by the team in the newsroom and was also impressed with the dignity that was given to honouring her life as your station has done. My sincere condolences to her husband and two lovely daughters. Indeed, they will carry their love for her in their hearts and the memories of her love for always. And others who knew her, others who knew of her, will do so also. As will I, remembering a woman, professional, wife and mother, family member and friend with the greatest admiration. 

Thank you for your tribute to Kathi. I live in Portland, Oregon now, but follow news back home pretty closely. We plan on moving back to Kitsap county upon my retirement in a couple of years.

 

I watched Kathi on KOMO since 1981. I got to meet her a couple of times in person, one memorable time when she graced our little town of Leavenworth as a parade Grand Marshal. Seldom does one encounter in the world a person of such grace and beauty balanced by deep, touching empathy. She was kind and welcoming to anyone who approached her.

I followed her health struggle when she very bravely chose to share it with the world. She became even more inspirational as she unflinchingly reported her progress over the years. I also think she became even more beautiful even as the surgeries took a toll on her beautiful face.

Kathi's passing hit me unexpectedly hard. After all, I didn't know her personally. She had that gift of reaching out to us with her eyes, her manner and her professionalism tempered with humanity. Not everyone can make EVERYONE they meet feel special.

My heart breaks for her family. Her loss reminded me of the loss of my companion to breast cancer in 2005. I remember the absolute depth of grief that paralyzed our family at that time. Kathi's loss brought it all back in a huge wave.

I therefore send my deepest condolences and, I'll say it, love, to Kathi's family at this time. I've been there. You don't know how you will possibly wake to face a day without the person who was your inspiration through that time of struggle, who made you laugh, who made you cry when they could speak with quiet dignity about how you MUST go on even after they have physically left you. Sleep comes hard, but exhaustion forces your body to shut down. Your head aches from the crying, you are left an empty shell, the grief unimaginable.

 

And then the healing begins. Slowly. The first year is SO hard. Every day a remembrance of the same day a year before when you were together. Holidays, birthdays, and especially anniversaries are incredibly painful because they only highlight your loss.

 

But eventually, the memory of the last days of struggle fade as the happy memories start to outnumber the bad ones. And you will reflect on what a gift your wife/mom was to the world and that you were lucky enough to share your lives with her and that she will be with you the rest of your lives. And best of all that you will be together again one day.

 

Rick, you are especially in my heart. I can't imagine your days and nights. Keep going, my friend. Your daughters will need you even more in the coming days, nights and years. I will hold you close in my heart.

 

Larry Telles

Milwaukie, Oregon

What a beautiful tribute to Kathi on Monday evening....our small family watched with overflowing tears.  One could feel the depth of emotion.  I can't imagine another news team anywhere with the same feeling of family and comfort with each other as all of you ..... Dan, Steve, Eric and Mary.  Thank you for sharing, with such gracious emotion, your feeling as well as those of your KOMO family.  Kathi will surely be missed but never be forgotten.

It is a very sad day. I am a Seattle Native who lives in Atlanta, GA now. I only occasionally

log into KOMO news to see what is going on back home. It has been months since the last log in- but today I logged in to check on the fires.

 

My Kathi story:

 

When I was in the 8th grade back in 87-88, Kathi came to me middle school. To talk about staying away from drugs and going for your dreams. I still remember, her standing there. She composed herself with such elegance and grace. Yet made myself and my classmates feel as if we could achieve success as she has. She became an instant role model for me.  When I invisioned myself older - I wanted to be like her. After the assembly in the gym. We were able to meet her and shake her hand. It was a memorable moment for me.

 

She will be missed.

What a sad day for all of Seattle. We were neighbors on Queen Anne for years- I used to see her when I would work in the yard or do chores like take the garbage out- At first It was weird to see her off the camera-- perhaps I was star struck initially?  But that changed quickly because she was so friendly and down to earth. She never showed off or exuded any of the glitz or and glamour of being a local celebrity...She was just a normal woman who looked naturally beautiful doing the simplest of household tasks. I always had a boyish crush on her and thought she exemplified the grace and beauty of a news anchor but the easy going personality and genuine kindness of a normal person- even though she had one of the most recognizable faces in Seattle. I think her courage and strength even in the toughest of times are a testament to the strong and resilient person she was. I feel lucky to have known her both on and off the camera. She made Seattle a warmer, richer and more informed city by her tireless work and dedication. I think she is beautiful inside and out and I will miss her dearly. My thoughts go out to her family and friends at Komo and I am sending positive vibes to you all. Her spirit will guide us as we move forward and she will be a shining light in all of us. No one can ever take that away from us. I miss you Kathi. Mark

My life seems a bit emptier now, for not having ever met Kathi in person.  I've lived in the Seattle area my entire life, and watched Kathi on the news during her entire career here, and she was my favorite, as she was with so many others.  I feel I've lost a friend.  She had such a BUBBLY personality and was so warm and compassionate, she was not "just" a face on the TV.  I have a personal friend who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and everytime I saw Kathi on the news, I thought of her, and when I visited my friend in the nursing home, I thought of Kathi and her bravery.  My sister also died of a brain tumor, so this is a very "near and dear" thing to me.  I almost couldn't watch KOMO on the news this morning, Steve Pool and Dan Lewis were so broken up, I started to cry and I don't cry easily!

For Kathie you don't go with out a fight, and you did with dignity, bravery and courage, You are inspiration. But your now in peace, no more pain, suffering and doctor's visit and radiation. It's all peace and happiness in heaven. with all the angles. I am sure some t of the children  you help at the Children.;s hospital who has gone before you . are happy to welcome you home. Good night  Kathie sleep now in the arms of an angle and may you rest in peace. For the KOMO family my prayers and sincere condolences.

I've often wondered as we watched KOMO News whether all the  anchor folks ( Dan,Steve,Eric,Mary to name just a few) had as much fun and camaraderie as they appear to have on the air . We always loved to watch Kathi and Steve when a chef was on the set and then of course the same with Steve and Mary. Aftter watching and listeneg to yesterdays tribute to Kathi, it was evident that you do have fun and that the friendships go beyond your jobs.

  I was remembering something that Kathi had recorded to be played on KOMO radio years ago when Larry Nelson was still on air that was so touching and warm. I think it was done around Christmas and was a story about her Grandfather. It would be wonderful to hear that story again. Wonder if it's still on tape somewhere in the archives. Our hearts are sad but our memories of her will last forever.

I love how you spent the first half of the newscast on Monday night paying tribute to your dear friend and admired colleague.  It was easy to see how much she meant to all of you, and she was so admired and loved by the Puget Sound community that you provided a chance for all who were watching to think about and grieve for a woman who impressed us all with her courage, beauty, and quiet dignity.  Even those of us who never pay attention to which anchors are on which networks (sorry, guys) knew who Kathi Goertzen was, admired her, and hoped for a better outcome for her and her family as we followed her story throughout the years.  We send our condolences to you and to her family.

Kathi's work in our community exemplified dignity and credibility in journalism. I had the fortune of meeting her and talking to her about a very difficult time in the lives of my friends and family and she respectfully encouraged us to share our story like she shared her own experience for the better of the community.  I hope that the current and future generations of journalists can learn from her honest and compassionate style.  Thank you to Kathi's family for sharing her with us through the years.

 Does anyone know what kind of brain tumor Kathi had?

It was never the same not having Kathi in that anchor chair, and I always was hoping that the next time I turn on KOMO I would see that she had returned.  Kathi, Dan, Connie, Eric, Steve, Keith, and Elisa will always be how I remember the perfect KOMO prime time team.  Kathi, you will always be in our hearts and a part of our family.

Dan, Eric, Steve , Mary, and the rest of the Komo staff, I know that this has been the hardest days for you but I think Kathi would want you to lift your heads up and your hearts and remember the strong faith that she had in all four of you. Just as you loved her dearly, she reciprecated it back at you as well. May you four be blessed as you continue to do a great job of reporting the news to us. that is what Kathi would want you to do. That is why she knew when Mary took over her spot, she took her under her wing as she did, you guys would never be with out someone to keep you in line. God bless you Komo, and anchor desk hang in there!

Dear Komo.

I know that this has been a ring two days for you. may prayers are with you all. Most especially Dan, Steve, Eric,Connie,and Mary, May you and your families find comfort in the lord and his angels as he has taken Kathi home. I have always found the Komo anchor desk to be so gifted as a team and always looked forward to watching the news because of you. Kathi was a big part of that reason that I looked forward to the news hour.

To Kathi's husband and beautiful daughters, I pray that you can find healing from the lord as you go through this time of mourning. I pray that his angels comfort you in your time of need, and that those around you will give you the strength to carry on. God be with you all. Peace to you and all those who pray with you and for you all.

As I watched and listened to your memorial to Kathi, I was impressed with the love and friendship that the KOMO news team expressed. Not something you always see/feel from the media. Anyone who watched KOMO News always stayed with KOMO because of the raport between Kathi and her "team" (especially, Dan). We've all laughed and cried beside you as you reported over the years and know that you are suffering more than we, only because you knew her more closely than we did. Our hearts go out to the KOMO team and to Kathi's family. Thank you very much for sharing Kathi with us, and having the sensitivity to "BE" at a time like this.

Why did Dan Slocum just get a blurb and Kathy gets major coverage? 

Kathi, you were always my very favorite. You and Dan were awesome together. You will be greatly missed! To Rick and Kathi's two daughters, your mother and wife was terrific. Her quality character showed through with every newscast she did. The tears she shed. How she got choked up with some stories. Her laughter was wonderful. I could feel her heart and passion with every story she did. I felt like she was family. I will really miss her. You guys take care and know that your mother, your wife and you guys, were and are loved by thousands of people like myself and my family.

Watched KAthi thru the years fighting the battle, she put up a great fight. NOw its over and shes in a better place.

watch the news on my innerrnet.

Keep up the good work  altho it will be hard but KAthi's watch ing

Don't be sad that it's over -- be glad that it happened.  Dr. Seuss ........

Here's an interview Dan had with a local radio station. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6agRoV1ywI

I was a 20-year resident of Seattle and moved to New Orleans 2 years ago. I follow komo at LEAST 3x a day and have been following Kathi's fight. Please, please, to family and friends and co-workers of Ms. Goertzen, know that we send you our heartfelt sympathies to you tonight, and will light some candles along the Big Muddy for her and her own. Loves to y'all. Sincerely, Skye Farr and Fay George, and all of the dogs at Best Walks by Farr down in the Crescent City. I'm for once sorry we're all this ways away. 

She was a beautiful and gracious lady who will be missed by all.

I'll never think of Kathi as saying her final "Sign-off" .   More like her 1st "Hello" to her next stop.  Sail on Kathi... Sail on. We Love You ! 

It is very sad and a relief as this kind of cancer is very painful. She was a good northwest girl. I will pay my respects when I come up there from Salt lake City, Utah on Saturday. God bless all her wonderful friends and family. Peace and Love John Twohy @ Craig Phares.

I used to live in Seattle, moved a year ago.  I still watch komo news on the internet and was keeping up with the news of kathi all this time.  Komo news family, I am deeply sorry for your loss.  She will always be in every ones hearts for ever.  Her news story's were always like her, uplifting and very much done with her heart and sole.  Bless the anchor desk and all your familys.

RIP Kathi. I think Komo should change their logo and add Kathi's image onto it. It would be a great way to keep her as part of the Komo channel.

Rest in peace and love Kathi!

Thanks Dan, Mary, Steve and others for your wonderful tribute to Kathi yesterday.  It must have been very difficult for you to even go on the air.  It helped all of us deal with the death of a wonderful woman who influenced many of us to be better people.  She will be missed by so many.

RIP

Thanks for all the years of your amazing smile and dynamite personality. You fought a good hard fight with so much courage and strength. May we take comfort knowing that you are out of all pain, suffering, and battles of this earth. You are now at home with the Lord and nothing could ever be better than that. You have been an iconic symbol of Seattle and Komo 4 with such prestige in everything you did, a true friend and extended family to us all. I watched Kathi for many years on the news, the news of her passing is very hard to grasp as she had so much life and ambition. She will be truly missed Many prayers to her family and close friends in this difficult time, May God bless her beautiful soul